You Said What?
by Sasameki
Summary: It was ironic; she had never even imagined she'd be relieved for the Sun to rise and the Moon to fall.
1. Prologue

**Notes:** Err. I don't venture into this part of the internet very often and actively participate in anything, if you know what I mean; I just read. This isn't my first story; I actually have written quite a bit just to get things off my mind I just never choose to display them. Initially, this story began as a joke between my circle of friends. They threw out all sorts of weird and crazy pairs and stories to go with it. All those, 'what ifs', you know?

This story was a bit weird for me, since it did initially just start off as a random idea. It was a bit difficult to portray Diana's personality; I can only imagine how she'd really be like and for Leona... well, I didn't really think it out as much. But, I do try to give both characters a sense of dignity. I despise OC stories; shoot me. And I love humor; sometimes very dry and not funny humor sadly.

The title of this story is meant to be vague. Writing this actually irked me, and I've been springing ideas here and there as well as remembering old ones. So I chose to make the title vague; I don't know if this will be a one-shot, a series of one-shots, or turn into an actual story. So, I leave you hanging a bit here and there. That's where I want your opinions. If you think I should continue or not. Sooo, let me know what you think. And I'll continue based off of the reviews I get.

Oh, and I do play; but I don't think I should be giving out my name to strangers, sorry. ):

**Title:** You Said What?

**Description:** It was ironic; she had never even imagined she'd be relieved for the Sun to rise and the Moon to fall.

* * *

**Prologue**

_Change, Reasons, and... Blushing?_

"Isolated as always, I see."

The voice was barely audible to the woman kneeling underneath what seemed to be the largest tree in the area. It sat upon the edge of a cliff that gave her view of the entire sky and dark depths below, but she indulged more in the fact that she had found it to be a place of tranquility where she could relax and think. Around her was a vast expanse of land, quiet and peaceful, a clearing from the forest which she had carefully trekked through. Although new to this terrain, she was not deaf to the rumors and chit-chat around her within the residence halls. And from what she had managed to hear, the Institute of War was heavily guarded from the outside, and a certain yordle champion contributed by placing ever potent shrooms all around the vicinity. She remembered how deadly such a small object could be once stepped upon in one of her first matches on the Summoner's Rift, and she was not about to discover what its potential effects would be outside of the League's arenas. She also knew that if she traveled too deep within the brush she might get pierced through the head by an arrow made of frost. In fact, to her knowledge, many of the champions participated in guarding the Institute of War in which the League was housed.

_The League of Legends_, a way to settle political disputes without damaging the would-be crippled land of Valoran, had attempted to stop the destruction of their world. And yet, potential attacks threatened the Institute of War from time to time despite its purpose being beneficial to all, life-saving even. Inside and outside, the establishment was always on high security, most of the guards being guarded themselves secretly by champions within the League. This is what irked her the most since her initiation into the League of Legends. Champions that were meant to represent different city-states worked together to protect this place albeit their intentions in the League were to solve quarrels between each other. It was such a contradicting notion she couldn't help but muse over the matter. Perhaps the founders had greater intentions than they let on to believe, but a part of her was not able to determine whether or not these intentions were good or bad. There were suspicious signs, and the gut feeling she had agreed.

But a better matter to ponder over was her reason for currently taking a part in all of this. For what reason had she joined the League? She asked herself that every day, and amongst the many answers she had internally disputed over, she had settled for the simplest version: she felt a strong force calling out to her from here. Beyond that, there was not much she could explain nor understand.

"Some things never do change, do they?" The voice berated again, this time firmer than before. She heard the taping of a foot.

While musing, she had forgotten the new company that had arrived. Adjusting her position of kneeling on one knee, she sat down upon the soft earth, one leg sprawled out, the other pulled up to her chest and clasped her arms around it. At this time of night and in such a desolate place, caution should be a normal necessity, but she did not feel the need to be weary. There was no sense of danger from this stranger, or rather, "old friend". Closing her eyes, she sighed, a smirk upon her face.

"Diana." The voice was now clearly laced with irritation.

Diana made a small 'hm' sound replacing the proper response of, 'Yes?' and in return a large sigh was released behind her. The figure stepped slowly, the sound of the grass beneath their feet barely noticeable. She felt a small bit of dust kick up upon her clothing as the person sat down un-gracefully, though she imagined it was out of their current aggravated state. She could feel eyes upon her, boring holes into her head, no, _burning_ holes into her head. In retrospect, Diana could feel just how agitated the person was; their aura was so strong it would probably burn everything to ashes. But Diana made no move to look at the person nor open her eyes.

"Must you always ignore my presence?"

The voice was softer now but still firm and Diana felt the intensity of the stare wean; the person had turned away from her. Opening one eye, Diana peered at her un-expected guest. A woman with brownish-red hair sat hugging both knees to her chest, obscuring her body's figure more than what the gold-plated armor she wore hid. But the moonlight shone brightly upon her, revealing the striking features she possessed. Her skin was smooth and white, the shape of her face seemed to be outlined in the air as if she was popping out of a picture, and her hair had obviously been well-kept. In that moment, Diana faintly recalled a tomboyish girl with hair of the same color who ran around aimlessly with a boy that always seemed to get into skirmishes with all the other kids when she was younger. She closed both eyes again.

Diana had not been surprised to see the woman that was sitting next to her had also taken to the League as well when she first arrived. She was sure such an encounter would've occurred sooner or later; it was inevitable that they would meet whether by chance somewhere in Valoran or by being summoned onto the Fields of Justice. In some crude way, they were meant to find each other anyway. After all, they were the "Chosen of the Sun and Moon", and it had been far too long since that time they were deemed so. But she hadn't expected to see a modest and graceful looking woman that seemed to attract attention from men and women alike wherever she went instead. For a moment, Diana had been caught off guard at the woman's first appearance and was not able to recognize her until she saw the light that was resonating from her body; she was as _radiant_ as the sun, and a sudden killer instinct grew within her that she forcefully calmed, due to the new rules she was now placed under by the League. She knew then that it had been _her_. But when she observed the woman's attitude in the presence of Pantheon one day, she found she was still childish underneath her chivalrous, calm facade, displaying her true nature only in the presence of a few, including the Artisan of War. While time certainly had done its job in changing a young, scruffy-haired girl into a beautiful woman, it had no effect on her character at all.

Some things really do never change.

Speaking of the Artisan of War, Pantheon actually bore a strange resemblance to the little boy from her past, but she really couldn't put her finger on what it was that made her think so. She deduced it to be the strange helm he wore. That boy did love to play "soldier".

Diana inwardly snickered but was suddenly brought out of her thoughts as she heard a disapproving 'hmph' come from the person next to her. It would seem she had taken Diana's silent laughter to be the response to her previous question. After a few moments, she opened both eyes and slowly turned to look at the woman.

"To whom do I owe the pleasure of being in the _Radiant Dawn's_ company?" Her voice was monotone, yet her intention was to sound mocking. Maybe she _had_ been in isolation for too long.

"With the way you're acting, I would not seem to be pleasurable company at all," the anger was there albeit somewhat bothered sounding as well.

"On the contrary, I find the presence of the Sun to be absolutely _invigorating_." Her hidden, crude remark did not go un-noticed as the woman visibly flinched.

Diana clearly had nothing optimistic to say, or rather, she actually knew nothing about speaking positively at all. And despite the troubled expression the woman had, Diana was enjoying toying with the woman, eager to see her reactions. In fact, this was the only clear thing she would show about herself on and off the battle field, besides being cold and deathly quiet. Most of the League's champions found her to be extremely unapproachable, and those who managed to actually talk to her were the most menacing, almost evil seeming beings. But, she really didn't care other than the fact her status was slowly becoming intertwined with those who were notorious for their love to shed blood. Sometimes, she had been told her sarcasm was comparable to that of Katarina's when she _toyed_ with people. Now, that was a creepy thought.

"Diana, why must you insist upon avoiding me at all costs?" It was another put-off phrase from the woman resonating in her ears, bringing her out of her reveries again.

"I am not avoiding you... _Leona_," the name felt awkward coming from her mouth; it _had_ been years.

"I simply have no reason to speak with you. You are not the reason I came here," Diana stated matter-of-factly.

At these words, a loud, frustrated growl came from Leona as she turned to glare again at Diana, but this time Diana's reaction was different. As the Moon's glow became clearer in the distance, she began to feel the beginnings of anger. The growl in Leona's voice had set something off inside of Diana. Although the girls had once been childhood friends, they had steadily grown apart. Eventually, there was little to no connection between the two. Diana committed a vicious act of treason to protect herself, accepting the power of the Moon. And ironically enough, Leona had been saved from execution by the Sun. She did not experience the event in which Leona was granted the power of the Sun nor did she know of the events that Leona was encompassed to afterward, but even miles away, somewhere deep down she knew that whatever bond they shared had been completely cut off; they were now enemies. While Leona followed the Sun's light, Diana had sworn to destroy all those that denied the power of the Moon. Her anger was triggered by anyone who worshiped the Sun, and she could feel the power of the Moon coursing through her veins at those times. Other than that, Demacians, Noxians, or any others did not bother her in the slightest.

The woman before her embodied everything she hated and sought to destroy. But no matter how much hate she harbored, her sanity was still intact; she knew Leona was very different from the Solari, only following what she was taught to do, to represent the Sun, and it tore Diana apart. She had spite towards the Solari, and she should have been angrier more than anything at Leona for being their beacon of hope. But for some reason, the anger had subsided greatly over the past few weeks. Something felt wrong, yet, all she had done since joining the League was to deny whatever conflictions she had about the matter. She reasoned it to be because she had simply spent too much time since her stay here controlling her anger in the woman's presence. For the sake of her own safety, she could not break the League's rules; hurting Leona was out of the question. It was moments like these where Diana would question her reason for joining at all again, and as the thought entered her mind her eyes unexpectedly met with Leona's.

And the anger disappeared.

It was the first time she had looked Leona directly in the eye since they were children, and she felt an odd; she was suddenly captivated by Leona's eyes. They were not like her dull, grey eyes, but rather a shimmering brown, tinted with traces of red. They did justice to Leona as the Radiant Dawn. It would seem that everything about her emitted the power of the Sun, even her eyes, and for the life of her, Diana did not know why she could not seem to break away from her gaze... or why she felt like she didn't want to.

But to Diana's dismay, Leona turned away to look out at the scenery beyond the cliff.

"If there is no reason for you to speak with me, then so be it. _But the Moon and Sun cannot avoid each other forever_," Leona said softly, a touch of sadness in her voice.

Diana stiffened at the cryptic phrase just spoken. Memories began to rush back to her, but she shoved them down as she always did, instead choosing to continue looking at the other woman without any hints of her constraint, forcing herself back into her neutral demeanor. Leona, no longer visibly showing signs of anger, turned back to look at Diana. But this time her expression was serene, a small smile graced her face, and her aura did not give off the feeling that daggers were about to be lodged into Diana's body. But there was something in her eyes that Diana saw immediately, something akin to her; loneliness.

"Aren't you the one whom loathes my very existence?" As Leona spoke, Diana felt a twinge in her chest and the anger returned. She hastily looked away, resuming her previous facade.

"You are not the reason I am here," Diana repeated, trying to focus on the energy that was resonating from within.

She could clearly feel the Moon's power and the anger flowing through her veins now. An uncontrollable rage she knew was slowly surfacing, and she suddenly felt the urge to get Leona back into the Institute of War as quickly as possible.

And at that very thought, Diana felt like she had just run into a brick wall. A very thick brick wall.

She was fighting the anger, the urge to kill Leona, the Radiant Dawn, the quintessence of the thing she hated most? She didn't understand why. This could not merely be due to the need to follow the rules of the League, but she would keep this answer even so, for she had nothing else, and so little time to choose her actions right now. She would act on whatever she thought of first, and unfortunately, that was the Chosen of the Sun's safety. She looked out to the scenery before her, hoping her control would sustain long enough for her to persuade Leona back inside, but to her surprise her vision was suddenly obscured by the beginnings of sunlight.

Diana smirked.

"_The dawn has arrived_."

"... What?" Leona exclaimed. It took her a while to register that Diana, the Scorn of the Moon had just said that and with a smile on her face nonetheless.

Diana slowly stood up and began to retreat into the forest, back to the Institute of War. The rage she felt before slowly began to fade as day drew nearer; the moon would recede as the sun took its place in the sky. She had to admit that had been perfect timing. It was ironic; she had never even imagined she'd be relieved for the Sun to rise and the Moon to fall. Of course she didn't know why; she didn't know the answer to too many things right now. But she refused to think upon the new questions popping into her mind. She was probably going insane. Maybe her reputation would be completely obliterated now that she was "crazy". She would be all the way up there with them bozos. But as she listened to the footsteps of Leona trailing behind her.. she wasn't so sure anymore.

Maybe some things really do change.

* * *

"You've got to be kidding me, right?!" Pantheon was nearly roaring, pointing his spoon at Leona, though he was not angry. Yet, his behavior and status would always convince others he was ready for battle, and they tried to live outside of his rather large "bubble". But for the Artisan of War, the distance they kept wasn't so heart-wrenching as it would be for Amumu, the Sad Mummy. He didn't care at all.

Pushing aside her half finished breakfast, Leona pinched the bridge of her nose and closed her eyes as she felt a migraine coming on, "Nope."

"The events that occurred last night until daw- the sun rose are not lies, Pantheon."

If his face could be seen, Pantheon would have the look of a shocked teenage girl that just got confessed to by the love of her life, "So, you can't even say your own designated title? What's wrong with you? Does it really mean this much to you?"

"What are you talking about?" Leona let out a long, drawn out sigh and Pantheon answered with a wave of his hand as if saying, 'Never mind.'

Honestly, she couldn't even think of the dawn or sun right now. Her thoughts were on the way Diana had said her signature quote. It was really taxing when your so called "enemy" could commit so many acts of treason and be so determined and immersed within their own beliefs, and then just stare at you, speaking words you would never have imagined in such a... kind way.

"_The dawn has arrived_."

All Leona could see in her mind was the smile upon Diana's face as she said that with the sunrise in the background contrasting oddly with Diana's darkened clothing and snow white hair. In that moment, for some reason Leona felt like her heart would explode, and she didn't understand why. With everything Diana did and said, it seemed as if Leona was at her mercy, and it wasn't just last night. Even as kids Diana irked her; she was always so mysterious and determined. And Leona, being the annoying child she was, always pestered Diana with countless questions and drug her out to various places. And Pantheon would confirm their purpose in being there to be a "top secret mission". Naturally, she'd always get Diana in trouble, yet Diana always brushed away her apologies. But no matter how close she got, she felt like she would never understand her.

But, she would always cherish the times they'd sit outside together and stare at the stars in silence, even the vast blue sky in the daylight. It made her feel like she at least had an emotional connection. She was surprised to have found Diana in such a place, gazing out at the sky, but she _had _come there for the same reason. However, when she spotted Diana beneath the tree, her intentions changed. She didn't even know what she was doing, but with the sky so clear like on their nights together as children, Leona felt like it was something she had to do. Back then, it was the only time she ever saw Diana's smile or heard her laughter. She never understood why, but the sky was like another world to them, and it was never because of the Moon or the Sun. When she was around her, they'd pick out constellations in the sky, sometimes even lay in places obstructing the Moon or sit on the edge of cliffs and stare off in the opposite direction of the Sun, talking about the mountains.

Maybe she was just reminiscing on the "good days". Maybe that's why all she could think of was the smile on Diana's face and her long, flowing hair and the way her- yeah, that's definitely why all she could think of was the smile on Diana's face.

Leona remembered as they hit their adolescent years, they started to drift apart; their ideals and feelings on Mount Targon, the Sun, the Moon... were not the same. Even Pantheon, the champion sitting before her, battered with scars upon scars, would never agree with her on the topic of war, for example, as he had his own beliefs as well. It came to the point that they would never even look at each other nor speak when they were together, and they were only ever together for brief moments due to the Solari. Leona can't even remember how she felt about it back then, it seemed like she was accepting Diana's ignorance to her presence and did so in return as well.

When fate tore them apart, Leona had to accept the fact she would probably have to do something very petrifying one day. She came to the realization that she really would never be able to understand Diana. And on _that_ day... she never saw Diana again. She never understood why Diana chose the path that she did, but the past was left behind her as the years passed by, and many feelings became foreign to her. Never would she have imagined Diana to join the League of Legends, though, let alone find her old friend before her as well. But things were very different now, Leona and Diana were very different. The past is the past. And she needed to live in the present.

Though one thing did bother Leona.

_"You are not the reason I am here."_

Why _had_ Diana joined the League? Among all of the possible answers she could think of she really didn't know. Diana just showed up one day out of the blue. But amidst the confusion and memories in her head, she had to admit it was actually kind of nice to see her again.

Leona continued to muse silently.

"You're blushing," Pantheon said in a surprised voice, interrupting her thoughts. He had dropped his spoon, and it had fallen into his soup making a small 'plop' noise.

"... Huh?" Leona snapped her eyes open.

"You're blushing," this time Pantheon seemed as if he were accusing her of a crime.

Leona continued to stare at her friend as if he had just grown two heads. Pantheon's statement was repeated again albeit mischievously.

"You're blushing."

"I don't understand you sometimes," Leona sighed, still confused; she had been lost in thought for too long.

Pantheon began to hum to himself (a rare sight that only Leona thought she had seen) as he picked up his spoon and began feasting on his soup again all the while Leona was still left in the dark about his accusations.

_'Blushing?'_

"So, tell me, Leona, _the Radiant Dawn_," Pantheon stressed her title in what sounded like a mocking way, "Did her smile make you beam even more vibrantly or are you manifesting your deepest desires in your mind?" Pantheon erupted into laughter at the look on Leona's face; eyes wide open and jaw slack.

Only then did Leona catch onto his antics.

"You're incorrigible, you know that?"

"And you my, dear comrade, are-blush-ing," Pantheon said, as he accentuated every part with his spoon poking at her.

Leona tried to change the subject. For some reason she could actually feel the room getting hotter. And really, why would she be blushing?

"I'm surprised you're even listening to all of this. Really, Pantheon, you act like a boy version of Lux on her happy highway when you're with me, but everything else is the great 'Artisan of War' rampaging through any person, place, or thing," at this, Pantheon jabbed at her as if his spoon were his real spear playfully in response.

And just when Leona thought this discussion was comatose, a certain white haired damsel walked through the cafeteria doors and made her way to the food line. Leona's eyes immediately shot to the woman.

"Now you're blushing _and_ staringgg."

"I give up," Leona sighed heavily in defeat and covered her face with her hand as Pantheon continued to laugh.

Leona was sure if she really were "blushing", she was now ten times worse.

* * *

**End notes:** Yeah, yeah, yeah. So, Pantheon was a little off. I just couldn't stand to write him as if he were slamming his fist on the table for every word he said.

If you didn't read the note at the very top, I suggest you scroll allllll the way back up. ):

Other than that, I look forward to what you all say~


	2. Chapter 1

**Notes:** Baha! Guess who decided to take your advice and continue this story? This one right here! Albeit, I've added a little twist (: I do hope you forgive me. This is the real chapter one. I have edited the title of the previous chapter to be the prelude or prologue. In essence, it doesn't really embody any significant event in the timeline of this story it only really serves the purpose of giving everyone a snippet into what plot and holes I have formulated for the entirety of this work, and of course, to start the story off with a kick. As you will see, I've jumped quite a bit in time from the events that took place prior to this chapter.

And because my brain has given up on arguing with me, I've decided to make every chapter _long_. But, there will always be a reward after. I promise.

Once you catch onto these said "rewards", I'm more than willing to say: bring on the suggestions. Or should I say, let me know of anything amusing you would like to see between any particular pair and/or group of champions. Hell, give me a word count limit. Anything.

And to those of you who find my writing good, I thank you greatly and appreciate it much. I've been told I have a strange way of writing. It's nice to hear it from a different point of view.

Now, as my chemistry teacher always used to say, go soak in all the information before you. And if you fall asleep, don't worry because they say you'll absorb it through the contact between your head and textbook.

Oh wait, this is a screen.

Well, that sucks.

Can you soak it up through your keyboard through the connection to the monitor...? Hm.

* * *

**Chapter 1.0**

_Defeat_

Leona rubbed her left temple in slow circular motions as her migraine settled into the various _unwelcomed_ sections of her head. She was tired of listening to a _certain _hot-headed Noxian banter on about their loss in her previous match. She tried to block out her shrill voice as much as possible, but it was to no avail. She could still very clearly hear her antics and even a gargantuously loud, _"What the hell?!"_ coming from her teammate. Deciding she had had enough cursing for a day, and being one of the few in the lobby room that were un-effected by her menacing presence, she began to slowly stride to the red-head. She had watched silently as the Eye of Twilight bowed low before the Noxian and gave, what Leona thought had been, the most sincerest string of words to ever come from any living being's mouth. Shen previously having given his apologies, like the gentleman he was, irked an unknown desire in her; why couldn't she be just as chivalrous and saunter over to her "comrade" and deliver a well-mannered impromptu speech that embodied the sun warrior that _she_ was? Noxian or not, Katarina Du Couteau was still a formidable opponent and associate on and off the Fields of Justice.

And with that thought in mind, upon reaching her destination, Leona firmly settled a grip on the left shoulder of the woman from behind and steadied her voice.

"Sinister Blade, I think that's enough for one day."

Katarina immediately swirled around to face Leona, breaking the contact between her shoulder and Leona's golden plated glove. Out of reflex, Leona swiftly took a step to her right, dodging any possible physical retaliations she knew the Noxian was known for. But none came, just the view of a very irritated woman whom seemed like she was about to blow her gasket. If she had one to begin with, that is. Leona could tell Katarina was gritting her teeth, and her hands were in shaking fists. But oddly enough, the glare coming from her normally smoldering green eyes seemed weaker than usual. If Leona put it in her own terms she would say the assassin had the look of one silently contemplating something, bothered even, rather than her usual deathly, sadistic stare. But after thinking about it that way, one should naturally affiliate the red-haired woman as a cold-hearted, blood thirsty maniac, not a brutally trained assassin, right? Now that she _was_ thinking about it, Katarina was truly an oddity apart from the other assassins in the League. By far, the woman had one of the largest reputations for swearing (closely comparing to that of Miss Fortune's harsh string of curses that seemed to come natural to all pirates, not to mention Vi's ever unintelligible comments), and a commanding, cruel presence with a pension for taunting others. The thought made Leona consider the woman before her in a new light, well, a less "sinister" one. It was hard to pair a loud-mouthed killer with a strange sadistic pleasure to that of a quiet and calculating assassin, much like Talon whom kept to the shadows, or Akali, whom never mixed herself up in any affair, dedicating her life to the Kinkou Order. Before her an intriguing element was unraveling, and Leona was beginning to merely see the resemblance of a child who didn't like to share her toys with any of the other little kids in the daycare.

As if to further add onto Leona's amusement, the Sinister Blade suddenly sighed deeply, effectively bringing Leona out of her thoughts. Katarina's body had loosened up, and soon she had that signature smirk of her's upon her face. She then gave Leona a giant shrug and coolly replied, "Whatever; it's no fun here anyway."

Leona fought the urge to raise an eyebrow and smirk, stilling her dignitary features upon her face. She wanted to be as diplomatic as possible without the essence of superiority or aggression present, much less the sarcastic comments she could dish out.

"Violence is not the answer to everything, Sinister Blade," Leona knew all too well what rage and bloodlust was and what it could do to someone, and she didn't like it one bit. For a split second, her eyes flickered to her childhood friend, Pantheon, before looking back at the Noxian.

Katarina held a disapproving frown upon her face. And that barrier between her itch to tease the woman (who seemed to have shrunk into a miniature version of herself in Leona's mind) or speak sophisticatedly with her, cracked a little.

"And I highly doubt, wrenching everyone of their hearing does justice to your endless escapade of finding 'fun' and enticing things to do. After all, you'd have no one who would listen to your tirades anymore."

She weakly gave a small smile, desperately holding back a large grin. Okay, so maybe it cracked a bit more than "just a little".

After hearing her chiding, Katarina just shrugged again and rolled her eyes with a small snort. Leona allowed herself a small smile. Katarina Du Couteau really did seem like a child.

"Violence, shmylence. I don't really get that anyway," Katarina huffed, and turned away, treading out of the lobby and disappearing into the dark of one of the corridors of the Institute.

Leona's brows knit together; that was not the reaction she had been expecting.

Following Katarina's exit, Leona's amusement slowly began to fade away into a fit of confusion. Nonetheless, she watched her departure until her red-hair vanished and the sound of her boots on the pavement diluted to silence. She repeated Katarina's words in her mind slowly.

_'She doesn't really get that anyway...?'_

But Leona would allow her mind no fog to fight. She had been having a quite numerous amount of questions randomly come to her lately and it was beginning to effect her sleeping schedule. Immediately dismissing any questions she might have at the assassin's statement with a shake of her head, she replaced them with the image of a child-like Katarina Du Couteau, and Leona settled back into her normal complacent nature. Descending from the Solari, Leona really didn't understand the logic of the Noxians, Demacians, Ionians, or anyone other than her own people for that matter. All she understood was that their personalities, characteristics, and views on life were different, her own being to follow the way of the Sun. And in knowing such, it would only be right to respect these differences; this was a matter she should be noble about. At least that's what the Radiant Dawn had convinced herself of when she had first begun to walk toward the sound of Katarina's voice.

The tension in the room had simmered down with Katarina's absence in the lobby area. Looking around at the various champions and summoners, who had participated in the match with her, and at the screen harboring the ones who would participate in the next one, Leona drew out a long breath; she had the nagging feeling that one of these days she was going to regret her pride.

Inevitably, at that very moment Leona thought back to her blushing mishap in the cafeteria. If anyone would make her cower and inch away from her own pride, it would be Diana. Worse enough, that incident had occurred nearly _seven_ months ago, and there was no sign that the memory would ever cease to drown and suffocate Leona's mind at any given moment. How Leona could have let her guard down so easily against her biggest adversary for this long was beyond her. It was all so confusing and it only made her migraine swell, sending more unnecessary pain through her head. It didn't help that the mental note to avoid Diana at all costs she had made on that day wasn't really pestering her to do so, more like the exact opposite. It seemed her luck had dwindled since her encounter with the moon warrior, and more often than she would like to admit, she found herself nearly ambling absent-mindedly into the same lone area where all this had initially started.

Inwardly, she groaned. She was at least thankful for her large breaks in between League matches that allowed her to visit Mount Targon time and time again. She could bask in the sun and be at peace with her mind, but every-time she went it became increasingly clear that her efforts to evade the matter were futile. Uneasiness only seemed to grow day by day, and the battle between her confusing thoughts were constantly bringing up fruitless results and more questions she did not have the answers to.

Obviously, fighting the fog was unavoidable. But for some reason Leona had begun to feel like she was going to lose this fight.

* * *

"I've never felt so violated in my life."

Dull eyes stared up at the ceiling. Shuffling was heard somewhere nearby, and another set of eyes remained stoic.

"I have to admit, you did bring up an interesting idea, though," Akali answered, her back turned to the person lying on the hospital bed behind her. She busied herself with organizing the various medical equipment around her.

If Diana had heard Akali's reply, she didn't physically acknowledge it, but her voice left through her lips nonetheless as she lay there still as can be and continued to small chat with the ninja turned nurse.

"Interesting?"

"Yes, interesting," Akali paused for a moment as she reached for a box high above her head but was too short, "Who else would've thought to manipulate the mental connection between a summoner and champion to create a counseling service for all of us? I'm surprised _I_ didn't think of it sooner."

Diana continued to stare at the ceiling without movement.

A counseling service? She was pretty sure she didn't mention the thought nor have any thought _at all_ of any type of mental therapy when she was approached by a group of what had looked like "very important people" at the time. They were Council members, she later found out. The events that ensued afterwards were continuously playing through her mind. They had explained very briefly their purpose in calling her attention. Apparently, Diana had somehow managed to skip out on the physical and mental checkout when she first joined the League. How was she supposed to know that she needed to be so thoroughly.. _examined_ as part of her initiation process? Diana felt a shudder flow through her at remembering the process. It had left her in shock and physically weak, leading her to her current occupancy on one of the beds of the medical facility within the Institute.

"Still.. I felt as though my mind had been... _purged_," she said in her normal monotone voice, only seeming to stress the last word as if emotion was devoid of her and elongating pronunciation was some sort of answer to that problem.

But Akali didn't seem to notice; she was too busy scrutinizing the unreachable box with narrow eyes.

"Well, I'm sure they can find some way to tone down the effects of entering one's mind if the program actually follows through," she replied curtly as she began to tap her foot irritatingly yet was still stoic in nature.

Diana still made no movement. She didn't _want_ to move, not to mention her body felt numb. She remembered being offered a thick serum that apparently had rendered her body useless and made her head feel heavy. But she still could not wipe the memory from her mind. Diana didn't feel like herself at all after the confrontation, but she also felt like she didn't actually know what she meant by "herself". Who was she again? She felt like she had just experienced a horror movie; the first and only horror movie she would ever watch let alone come near. The Council members had found it intriguing that Diana's mental state of mind was in-tact, but at the same time not in-tact at all. They explained some sort of suppression theory, mentioning that perhaps her emotions were locked away as well as her memories, but seemed to come at her all at once like a flash flood whenever she was pinned in a situation that was similar to something she had done in the past or was exposed to something that had meant a lot to her. As interesting as the theory was, Diana had no idea what to do or say in response to all of their personal questions. In fact, some of them were _too_ personal. She shuddered again.

"They said I could be depressed." And what the hell that meant, Diana didn't know either. Diana wondered if her confusion was caused by the intrusion of the Councilors within her mind or just herself. Then she remembered the serum. Maybe the serum was making her feel... dopey.

In that moment, Diana remembered declaring herself insane during a particular sunrise months ago. She was in the presence of.. she couldn't remember. But they were really _pretty_.

Somehow she managed to decide she was indeed _dopey_.

Akali was still staring at the box, the impatience clear in the faster pace of her foot tapping.

Diana, whom also was unaware of any of the other woman's actions, continued her explanation, "And I've never been poked with so many needles before."

Who knew blood could be tested for lacking chemicals or excessive ones within one's body? Diana didn't.

There was no answer. But of course, neither were acknowledging the other either. Both women remained motionless in the vacant room full of empty hospital beds, save one that seemed to be in use for napping purposes. Diana remembered briefly being introduced to the champion when she was lead there. Apparently, napping was a daily thing for them and they would come in at the same time every day and flop down in the same bed. But Diana couldn't quite remember the name of said champion. She did however remember the purr that came from the tired voice as they drifted off to sleep and strange fuzzy tails. But maybe that was just her imagination.

"They were sharp," Diana carried on.

A glint manifested in Akali's eyes and she immediately stopped tapping her foot. Turning to where she had stowed away her personal items, the cubby hole she always placed her belongings in every day when she changed into her nurse outfit, she began to search through her green garments. Eventually, Akali's hand found two hard objects. She pulled them out swiftly and lifted them up, one in each hand, gazing into the sheen they gave off. They were _sharp_. Akali returned her attention to the unreachable box.

"I'm sure.." the sound of something being hacked apart could be heard, but Diana made no note of it, ".. that you will recover in no time. Besides, sharp things are useful."

Akali inwardly congratulated herself at successfully piercing the box on both sides with her kamas, slowly descending the box to rest on the counter in front of her. She was still stoic in appearance and voice as always, however.

Diana finally allowed her eyes to close, leaving the blank ceiling to its lonesome, as sleep was beginning to reach out to her.

"I've never been so violated in my life," she repeated before she fell into a deep slumber.

Akali found that the box was empty.

* * *

The halls of the sleeping quarters for champions were littered with various framed portraits of famous persons, dimmed lighting, and carpeted floors. Each door was intricately decorated to fit the righteous aura within each hall. Naturally, champions were separated into different wings based upon their affiliated city-state and general interaction with another city-state nearby. Obviously, Noxus and Demacia were on completely opposite sides of the Institute; Noxus in the East wing, Demacia in the West. Zaun inhabitants occupied the hall in the Southeast wing allowing them to be in close proximity with the Noxians. Imprisoned champions were housed in the dungeons that could be reached by walking down the hall to the Northeast. Though, no one was quite sure how to enter when there were absolutely no doors at all in the hall. Likewise, no one really cared to enter the dungeons nor did they want a reason to. To the North were Frejlordians, in the Northwest wing Piltover citizens settled in with Bilgewater's and Bandle City's residents, and the Southwest harbored the Ionians as well as any other champion from somewhere far away or with no particular designated home.

It was in this last particular hall that Leona stirred from sleep in the early morning, too late to be awake, but restlessness had wracked her body the entire night. Rubbing her eyes, she checked the time on the clock situated on her nightstand.

_4 AM. _

How befitting for the Radiant Dawn to awake at such a time. Memories of the sunrise with Diana scattered around in her head. Leona twitched in annoyance.

How cruelly ironic.

Leona hadn't been able to get a proper night's rest for days. Her head was full of questions; most of them confused her, others she truly wanted answers to, and others that she didn't even want to recall. She had tried to keep the persistent thoughts in an organized manner, but it was all getting too frustrating for her to even care anymore. She was _tired_. Her eyes stung, her head hurt, and she felt too weak sometimes to even get out of bed. She didn't even understand why she was under so much emotional turmoil. She had never had thoughts like these that plagued her mind and held her back. There were _so many_ questions, and Leona didn't know where to start or where to end. Or if she would even come to an end at all.

It started with just simple questions.

_What time is it?_

_Where did I leave my shield?_

_When will Amumu come to freaking gank our lane?_

Then really idiotic ones that she felt like she should know the answer to.

_Why is the sky blue?_

_How is it that grass is green?_

_And for that matter, where did the naming of colors come from? Because 'flesh' crayon sounds absolutely disturbing._

_And why in the world is 1+1 really 11?_

Curse Mount Targon for being closed off. Curse her Solarian heritage that left her horridly innocent to anything else in Valoran. It infuriated her enough that she spent her days continuously reading book after book about any subject. She even read sappy romance novels and was beginning to grow a rather large collection of "How to" books.

And then there were _those_ thoughts. The ones she could never fully push away and was constantly growing in amount every day. Diana was on her mind with each passing minute, and it was starting to creep Leona out. And it had all started with that sunrise seven months ago. Ever since then, her thoughts had become more frequent, yet less serious. For the love of all things sane, she wondered why she even _wanted_ to know what Diana's favorite thing to do was. Worry had begun to develop within her as she realized her duty as a sun warrior was becoming a victim of her thoughts. She forcibly rid her mind of any questions she had about the sun and moon, whether good or bad. But during nights like these she couldn't help but stare out at the moon and wait for the sun to replace it. It was an ever growing obsession in her mind.

A groan escaped her as she flopped onto her back unceremoniously and stared up at the ceiling in her dark room. She wished she understood all of this. She wished she understood _why_ all of this was happening. She didn't know what she was feeling anymore, let alone could she find her own room after a long day of being on the Rift. The stress was pouring down on her _hard_. She felt trapped within her own questions, small, and sometimes _insignificant_. She had uncharacteristically begun to isolate herself from the other champions and her diplomatic front was beginning to crumble. She didn't know how much more she could take before she really would collapse.

With more will than the night before, she forcibly got out of bed and banished her thoughts, a feat that was becoming too difficult to accomplish without a resolute distraction. And even then, she still had flickers of images from that day pop into her mind then vanish behind her various new hobbies. She had tried things from increasing her daily exercise regiment to knitting random objects that were beginning to pile up on her desk. Not that she ever used her desk anyway. Still, the sight of a heap of indiscriminate objects every morning was beginning to rub her the wrong way. It was like she had no life.

Slowly, she treaded to the infirmary hoping to get a heavy dose of sleeping pills. Heaven knows how hard it is for her to sleep once in her element, and seeing as she had nothing scheduled for the day _again_, she decided she would take advantage of it. As she stepped into the dimmed light of the infirmary in only her pajamas and fuzzy slippers (something she wasn't too fond of people knowing she owned), she went off in search of Akali or Soraka; someone she knew, a friend that would lend her a hand and maybe give her some advice too. But as she approached the end of the rows of beds, she noticed a mass of white hair sprawled out upon the pillow of the last bed. The figure appeared to be in a heavy sleep, curled up into a ball. Leona narrowed her eyes, trying to squint through her blurry vision from being sleep deprived. For a second her mind went completely blank for the first time in weeks. Diana was breathing slowly, a strand of hair moving back and forth with every breath. Her normal attire was stripped of her and in its place was a hospital gown. Her brows were knit together and she was latching tightly onto her pillow as if afraid to let go.

Leona smiled a bit, and then walked closer to the sleeping woman. Her hand acted on its own as it reached out to brush hair out of Diana's face. Her eyes traitorously continued to stare at Diana, and she found she had forgotten the reason she was even in the infirmary in the first place. She continued to watch her as Diana shifted her arm that was clutching onto pure plush. The movement gave enough force for the blanket to slide down away from her arm, unsheathing it from its previously obscured position.

Leona's hand abruptly pulled away from Diana as she stared down at the bandages wrapped around the woman's arm, a foreign feeling rushing over her.

Was Diana hurt?

And then her eyes widened as the realization crashed into her as vicious as Darius' Noxian Guillotine. Diana was in the infirmary. Diana was _sleeping_ in the infirmary. _She_ was watching Diana sleep in the infirmary. Fear took a hold of her and she dropped to her knees in a shaking fit. She couldn't control herself. Everything was swirling around her and she struggled to get up, firmly gripping the leg of a nearby bed. She somehow managed to pull herself out of the area and back into her own room though her head felt like it would explode and her body was failing her with each step. Leona desperately tried to hold onto her consciousness as she slowly made her way to her bed, but her muscles finally gave way and she fell onto the ground harshly. Her breathing had become erratic.

And then the thoughts returned.

But this time she was too weak to fend them off. Succumbing to the endless hoard of questions, she allowed herself to be engulfed by everything she had desperately been trying to fight.

She didn't know why Diana's sleeping form had enthralled her.

She didn't know why she felt fear when she saw the bandages on Diana.

She didn't know why she was feeling anything at all.

Leona caved in and soon found the rest she had been craving for in her inamicable black out. She had lost the fight. And as her breathing became normal and body stopped fidgeting, the sun's light peeked over the horizon and the moon disappeared from the sky.

* * *

**Chapter 1.5**

_Behind the Scenes_

She really couldn't believe this.

Their team had been doing so well, until mid-game, when the enemy team had decided to change their tactics and group together, easily ganking and shutting down their well-fed Caitlyn in bottom lane. They even effectively stopped her own killing spree and she annoyingly watched the game go back and forth until both teams were of equal viability. Eventually, every turret protecting each team's Nexus had been destroyed. And now here she was, defending their lone Nexus as the rest of her team tried to push down mid-lane and finish the match.

Way to throw a game.

She had only been slightly relieved when she heard the sudden announcement of three enemies being slain, and with them down and out for at least a good minute, Shen still needing 20 seconds as well, she could tell that her team could easily take the win.

But, something did feel kinda.. _off_. Where was their fifth man? That war hungry behemoth had disappeared for nearly two whole minutes, and it was starting to make her paranoid. But she willed herself to keep calm and think rationally. Maybe he got lost in the Serpentine River and the Baron Nashor was currently gnawing away at his stupid shield that always blocked her daggers..

Well, as rational as she could be.

_"Your team has destroyed an inhibitor."_

The announcement at least made her feel more at peace as she carelessly flung a dagger into a minion's head. She smirked when Shen was up again, but could do nothing as her team charged at their Nexus. Their win was secured.

Lost in her mental victory dance, a small nudge to her left boot momentarily shifted her eyes towards the ground. One of her own minions suddenly stumbled backwards and fell on its back stopping her train of thought, only to quickly bring up another topic to think about. Katarina frowned.

Minions.

They were weird to her. Minions always ran aimlessly into the mist of war ready for the champions' disposal. She decided a long time ago, whatever it was that made them this way she wanted nothing to do with it. Chills ran down her spine just thinking about it. A blur of blue and purple meshed together in her mind's eye, and Katarina made a low _'tch_ noise. Not being able to have a mind of your own, no will to control your own actions, and she swore, if minions _could_ have expressions she was pretty sure this one was petrified. It was staring up at the sky, immobile. How ridiculous; if she couldn't even smirk once in a day from some kind of amusement she'd probably kill herself. Speaking of which, she really needed to find a new "play thing". Her last one wasn't fun at all; they made no effort to even listen to her nor answer her malevolent remarks.

Freaking, Corn of the Spoon, or whatever the hell her name was. New champions really did get on her nerves.

Sighing deeply, she realized this would be an opportune chance to acquire at least some kind of delight. No matter how miniscule. She needed to null the roaring rage she knew she would later take out on her team for the lack of knowledge they seemed to have at the phrase "don't feed". She was so irritated she'd probably get suspended from the Institute again if she didn't find something to entertain her, or rather, _restrain_ her.

Seriously, ten times in a row? Katarina sighed again.

So, as her team reached the enemy Nexus amongst the vast army of "little blue and purple things", she decided she had the time to follow-up on whatever the hell it was that was up there captivating that minion's gaze. Maybe it would be at least a tiny bit interesting. She threw another dagger without even turning or batting an eyelash, but it stabbed another enemy minion in the gut nonetheless. Stretching slowly, she placed her hands behind her head, interlocking her fingers.

Maybe.

But when she turned to the sky, focusing her green eyes at the clouds above, she caught sight of a rather large, orange, block-shaped looking thing falling down at what seemed like mach nine speed.

"What the fu-"

Then, horror struck her face, as it dawned on her.

Her reaction was too late as the ground shook beneath her feet knocking her back a few meters, wind blowing around her red hair violently. As she regained her footing, she saw Pantheon, ignoring her presence, and attacking her Nexus with lightning speed. Even disregarding the minions around him that were dealing heavy damage to him. Her killer instincts kicked in, and she took this as a opening to take out the giant warrior with all the strength she had left in her. She _had_ to.

But again, she was too late, as she hadn't expected what happened next.

A purple aura surrounded Pantheon before she had the chance to completely annihilate him, and suddenly, there stood Shen between her and the Artisan of War's demise. There was no way she stood a chance now. Shen was like a steel wall, not to mention all that mumbo jumbo about his ninja capabilities. And in that instant, the hope of her team making it in time had shriveled into a tiny ball, rolling somewhere far, far away.

Cringing, she watched her Nexus shatter to pieces; Pantheon having efficiently destroying their base a mere second before her own team could destroy theirs.

_"Defeat."_

She threw her hands up in the air, letting out a frustrated growl, and glared at the pair before her.

"What the hell, man?!" she spit out as she accusingly pointed one of her daggers at them.

Blue light began to surround them, and they soon found themselves in the after-game lobby along with their teammates and respective summoners. She was in hysterics, and this didn't go un-noticed by the rest of the occupants in the room. Shen took the initiative to respond, as Pantheon chose to ignore her; he seemed too submerged in his victory.

With a low bow, Shen sincerely uttered, "My deepest apologies, Ms. Du Couteau. It was the only option we had left." Naturally, his teammates were at awe at how calm and proper the ninja could be towards anyone. Even Katarina.

"Like hell it was!" The Sinister Blade was not one to be reasoned with once angry, although she probably would have done the same as the duo had herself. She couldn't call herself a true Noxian if she wasn't able to deceive her enemies even at the lowliest means possible, now could she?

_'More like back-stab them,'_ she mulled over, silently.

Returning her thoughts back to the multiple curses she was about to throw left and right, her eye caught sight of white hair.

Was Diana on the enemy team? She couldn't even remember now, but if it had been her she knew her antics would go un-noticed. And that would only piss off Katarina more. But just as she was about to stalk over there and lay it on thick, she realized she had made a mistake as a small clearing was made between Katarina and the Diana-esque entity. The white hair had been none other than that of Ashe, the Frost Archer. Was she seriously this riled up that she couldn't even remember the AD carry from the other team?

Katarina's scarred eye twitched. Ashe was like another Diana, she'd probably ignore all of her violent words as well. She _was_ known for being cold (literally), cool (also literally), and collected at all times. Not only that, she also seemed nearly unapproachable; the Queen of Frejlord was a busy woman, and that gigantic barbarian of a husband that she had was _always_ at her side unless it was during or after matches that they were not together in. She was more than likely waiting for him.

Katarina felt her eye twitch again. Their lovey-dovey relationship was annoying, even if she never saw them exchange a single affectionate gesture. Just nods and what seemed like single-worded conversations.

Deciding berating all of the others would only grant her a roll of their eyes, snarls, or fearful expressions (that looked absolutely awful on some champions she added mentally) she instead turned all of her attention onto the Frost Archer. Slowly, she began her tread towards the woman, whom was leaning against the wall crossing her arms with her eyes closed. Even though she knew little to nothing would be returned at the comments she was about to make, this was the only person in the room that would not give her something that wasn't the usual. Which really meant _nothing_, but with every stride she began to care less and less anyway. Dignified air around her or not, Katarina had never bothered to even talk to Ashe in the first place, so why the hell not? It was worth a shot, and her amusement bar was still un-satiated.

As Katarina reached a half-way point in the distance between the two, the archer opened her eyes and slowly looked up, noticing her immediately. A malicious smirk was upon her face as the Frost Archer continued to stare at the incoming Noxian. Typically, Katarina thought that she'd probably just close her eyes again or truly ignore anything that came out of Katarina's mouth. But before she even reached arms length from the woman, she nearly tripped over and fell.

Stopping dead in her tracks Katarina was suddenly absolutely, completely, and surprisingly speechless. In the midst of their locked gaze between green and frosty eyes, the Frost Archer did the unpredictable; she smirked back at her, even raising an eyebrow as if amused, her body never tensed. Katarina was rooted to the ground, and for the first-time her mind went blank as she gapped and watched the archer's departure upon the arrival of her husband breaking their eye contact, and _breaking_ any concrete thought she had had.

As if to worsen her predicament, Ashe took a short glance back towards Katarina, a lighter smile on her lips and a glint in her eyes. The archer turned her back to her then and carelessly, albeit discreetly, waved her hand at her and soon was gone from sight.

For what seemed like the thousandth time that day, Katarina _really_ couldn't believe this.

"What the fuck?!"

At the continuation of Katarina's fury, everyone else in the room just seemed to sigh.

* * *

**End notes:** Catch my drift yet? I kind of like the idea of putting something like this at the end of every chapter. Kind of like a manga, eh? I never thought I could make Katarina seem so scatter brained though, while still keeping her wits about her. And yes, it was a seven month jump, but that's only due to my own need to scrutinize details. Vi was mentioned early on, and it bugged me to put one or two months, as Vi was clearly released much later after Diana was.

I'm _too_ anal. And this is starting to look a little drabble-esquey.. probably should throw more useless things in.

Anyway, Ashe and Katarina's interaction was a suggestion from a friend who of course had read the famous "Wounded" by NyokaKione, which in turn lead to me reading it as well. I know I'm just another praiser of your work, but I can't help but squeal like a little fangirl. And you definitely do deserve the spotlight.

I have no idea where the scene with Diana and Akali came from. I was having problems with transitioning scenes. The first phrase that came to my mind was, "I've never felt so violated," and I just went with it. At least I have an excuse for writing Diana in an OOC manner for a good 1,000 words.

My friends are throwing me suggestions left and right and it's clogging my mind, but I'd like to hear from readers as well. And like I said, you can throw anything at me. I challenge you. How about in exchange, I'll release a letter of my IGN, in order of course, with every release of a chapter? Oh, that sounds fun now that I think about it. I wonder if I can hide it in between the lines..


End file.
